Laurel Lance still wasn't sure how she was even still alive. It had been 2 years since Damien Darhk had stabbed her in the gut. 2 years since Hive had faked her death and kidnapped her and brought her to this unknown location. She had no idea what had happened, though considering that the world hadn't ended, Laurel assumed that Oliver had stopped Darhk, but since he was the one of the only people who'd known she was alive, she wasn't expecting anyone to rescue her. Since her abduction, Laurel's living conditions were so bad she honestly wished Darhk had just killed her, since at least then, it would've been quick. Now Hive had been slowly killing her through starvation and dehydration, but what they didn't know was that Laurel had slowly been regaining enough of her energy to do something that she hadn't told anyone she could do. And now it was finally time for Laurel to take back her freedom.
"Alright Lance, it's mealtime." One of the guards said, since they only fed her once a day, if they were feeling nice, which was very rare.
"Oh goodie." Laurel said sarcastically as she drugged up to her feet.
"Hey now, I can easily change my mind about this." The guard said.
"Just out of curiosity, what was the last meal you had today?" Laurel asked.
"A delicious steak dinner, why?" The guard asked.
"Just wanted to make sure you enjoyed your last meal." Laurel said as she took a deep breath and let loose a powerful blast of sonic energy from her mouth, ripping the bars clean off the hinges and knocking her guard back.
Despite her weakened state, Laurel moved incredibly fast as she grabbed a bit of one of the bars and clubbed her captor over the head before yanking him to his feet.
"Where the hell am I?" Laurel snarled as she held a bar at his throat.
"A hidden compound about 20 miles outside of Star City." The guard said fearfully.
"Thanks for that." Laurel said as she bashed him over the head with the bar before grabbing his gun and heading out.
Laurel felt like she'd been running forever as she clutched her gut, which was still suffering from a more recent gunshot wound she'd gotten on her way out, when suddenly, she saw a van.
"You have to help me. Please." Laurel begged the driver as she pressed herself up against the side of the van.
"Whoa, what happened?" The driver asked.
"I just escaped. I've been held prisoner for nearly 2 years." Laurel begged.
"Okay, okay, hold on. Can you tell me who you are?" The driver asked.
"My name is Laurel Lance. Please, take me to Star City." Laurel begged and the driver nodded as he helped her into his truck.
Oliver had just finished up his meeting with Jean Loring, feeling pretty good when she told him that she could get the charges against him dismissed, which after what had happened the previous week, Felicity being killed in the fight between his team and Dinah, Curtis and Rene, was really needed, right as Quentin entered his office.
"I have some bad news Mr. Mayor." Quentin said.
"I told you." Oliver said as he got up to walk over to Quentin.
"Black Siren just walked into SCPD, not to turn herself in, but instead, she said that she really was our Laurel." Quentin said, much to Oliver's alarm.
"Quentin, that's not possible. She's dead. Dinah snapped her neck." Oliver said, grimacing at the memory.
"I know, but I also know that there is a woman who looks and sounds just like her and since our Laurel has been dead for 2 years, it has to be her." Quentin said as they arrived at the SCPD.
"Even if it is, why is she claiming to be Laurel Lance?" Thea asked as she, Oliver and Quentin walked through the SPCD.
"Well, Dinah's out for blood and Laurel Lance, public figure is much more difficult target than Black Siren." Oliver said as they turned the corner.
"Except it's all one big lie." Quentin said angrily.
"We need to get to her before she gets to the press." Oliver said.
"Too late Ollie." Thea said as they saw Laurel surrounded by reporters.
"I woke up in a cell and I managed to break down the door and I just, I ran." Laurel said and Oliver had to give her credit. Laurel's acting skills were even more impressive than they'd been last time as she played the role of the traumatized victim to the letter.
"They held you for two years?" A reporter asked.
"They kept me drugged, so I don't remember much. What I do, isn't pleasant." Laurel said.
"The Black Canary was reported dead, killed in a prison riot." A female reporter said.
"Damien Darhk, he stabbed me and then I remember being put in the hospital and then I was in that cell." Laurel said.
"Why would Damien Darhk do this to you?" A reporter asked.
"Why would he fake your death?" The same female reporter asked.
"I don't know, maybe to torture my dad, since my father was under the threat of Damien Darhk killing me if he turned on him, which my father did. Or maybe it was to torture the Green Arrow." Laurel said.
"So, do you know who the Green Arrow is?" A reporter asked, right as Laurel noticed Oliver, Thea and her father and her face broke out into a genuine smile.
"Ollie." Laurel said as she did her best to run into her oldest friend's arms.
"Ollie, I never thought I'd see you again." Laurel said, though to her surprise, Oliver didn't seem as happy to see her as she thought he'd be.
"Daddy." Laurel then said as she fell into Quentin's arms and she could feel that while he was happy to see her, he was a bit hesitant to accept this.
After dealing with enough questions and deciding that it was time he asked some of his own, Oliver decided to put this to an end.
"I think that what Ms. Lance needs right now is some time alone with her family." Oliver said as the 4 of them headed for an interrogation room and once Oliver had turned off the cameras, he looked at Laurel.
"Why are you doing this?" Oliver asked.
"Doing what? Ollie, I thought you'd be happy to see me after thinking I was dead for 2 years." Laurel said.
"Pretending to be our Laurel." Oliver said.
"I'm not pretending to be anyone. Oliver, I don't know what's going on here, but I'm not trying to trick you." Laurel said.
"Really, then tell me something only our Laurel would know." Oliver said, allowing just a tiny bit of hope into his voice.
"Okay, well the night of the party you threw when you were under house arrest after my dad tried to arrest you for being the hood, who by the way, you were, you and I ended up in your room at the mansion and I asked to see your scars and you pulled off your shirt and showed me them. I asked you how you survived all that and you told me that while there were times that you wanted to die, but in the end there was something you wanted more. Me." Laurel said and all doubt exited Oliver's mind at that.
"It's her. Our Laurel." Oliver said.
"You sure?" Quentin asked, not daring to hope.
"Only our Laurel would know that." Oliver assured him and Quentin then immediately pulled his daughter into the hug Laurel was expecting from him at first.
"Okay, now would you mind telling me why you all so hesitant to believe it was the real me?" Laurel asked.
"It's a long story that I'd much rather tell you in a more secure environment." Oliver said and Laurel nodded in understanding.